The present invention relates to a process and method for the joining of glass, particularly phosphate glass, using a solution at low, e.g. room temperature or temperatures below the glass transition point of the glasses to be joined. The present invention also relates to joined phosphate glasses, a solution for the bonding of phosphate glasses, and methods of employing joined phosphate glass (e.g. hybid or similar glass joints) in photonic applications, especially in laser and related applications.
Bonded glass is well known in the manufacture of various light transmitters, refractors, reflectors, and the like. Optical clarity, e.g. low loss at the bonded zone, is of high importance in various applications and various high temperature methods to obtain as high a quality joint as possible are known. High performance instruments or devices, especially optical devices, require a quality bonded joint to prevent optical loss.
For a bond's quality to be ascertained, factors such as the precision of the bond, the bond's mechanical strength, the bond's optical, thermal, and chemical properties, as well as the simplicity of the bonding process are considered.